1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to teaching and classroom technologies and more particularly to systems and methods for providing feedback to and about teachers regarding the quality of their teaching and enhancing a classroom experience.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is substantial interest and activity in the educational professional development community towards developing effective assessment methods and tools in support of a broader effort for classroom instructional practice evaluation. As a result of this interest and the associated efforts, there exists today a large array of frameworks, tools and practices for observation-based instruction assessment. Among the basic questions that these frameworks help in answering includes what level of performance best matches a specific practitioner's performance in a specific area according to some observed evidence. Another question includes the areas of instructional strength and focus of the practitioner. Thus, to address these questions, a key component of these assessment practices is the direct observation of instruction by peers, auditors, and coaches, often relying on manual tools and processes which by nature, produce broad and subjective measurements. There is a the need for tools and technologies in support of these processes that make assessment efficient, replicable, unobtrusive, objective, and affordable while providing consistent measurements and constructive insights into teachers' practices.